1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of card game assistance devices and methods. More specifically the present invention relates to a play recommendation apparatus and system for the game of blackjack. The inventive apparatus includes a sheet having printed on it a symbol identifying a possible dealer up card and a player hand column of player hand symbols corresponding to possible player card hands. Juxtaposed with the player hand column is a play column containing play symbols indicating the recommended play for the player to make corresponding to each player hand symbol in the player hand column, given the value of the dealer up card indicated on the sheet. The player hand column preferably includes a column heading such as "You Have".
Several such sheets are preferably provided, one for each of several possible dealer up cards, and are joined together with a binder in dealer up card numerical sequence to form a conveniently sized book. The binder is preferably a spiral binder so that the book opens to any selected sheet with minimal resistance and stays open. Each sheet is preferably divided into sheet halves separated by the binder, so that half of each column extends vertically down one sheet half and the other half column extends down the facing sheet half. The backs of the sheets are preferably the fronts of other sheets for compactness and efficiency. The player hand column is preferably in card value numerical order and preferably color coded, so that hard hands are one color, soft hands another color, and doubles still another color for rapid and convenient access to play information. An index tab is preferably provided for each sheet, each tab displaying the dealer up card value marked on the particular sheet from which it extends.
Alternatively the sheets may include only the single dealer up card symbol and the play column. A book cover or back sheet somewhat wider than the rest of the sheets is provided. Since the player hand column is normally constant from sheet to sheet, it is printed only on portions of the book cover or back sheets inner surfaces extending beyond the other sheet edges to align and correspond with adjacent recommended play symbols on each and every open sheet.
The recommended plays displayed in the play column are preferably based upon statistics of maximum success for a player. Alternatively the recommended plays may be based upon personal experience or other factors.
A system is provided of playing the game of blackjack using the above described apparatus. The system includes the steps of noting the value of the dealer up card, opening the book to the given sheet displaying the corresponding up card symbol, noting the value of the given player hand, locating the given player hand symbol in the player hand column corresponding to the value of the given player hand, noting the particular play symbol adjacent to the given hand symbol, and making a play corresponding to the particular play symbol.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been blackjack playing aids for guiding players in deciding when to stand, hit, double or split. One such prior device is marketed by Blue Bear Press under the name FLASHJACK.TM., and is a card having a table printed on it. The table includes a series of adjacent vertical columns headed by dealer up card values and intersecting horizontal columns headed by player hand values. A problem with FLASHJACK.TM. is that the card values and play symbols are difficult to read. The numbers in the table are necessarily very small to all fit onto the card and there are too many columns too close together. Misreadings and the resulting losing hands could cost a player money.
BLACK JACK STRATEGY.TM. marketed by POCKETEC.TM. is a card similar to that of FLASHJACK.TM., except that summarized play instructions are provided in discrete lines of hand value sets printed on both sides of the card. A problem with BLACK JACK STRATEGY.TM. is that the player has to think through which set particular dealer up cards and player hand values may fall into during the stress and heat of a game. This can lead to needless and costly play errors.
WIN AT BLACKJACK.TM. marketed by Paul Mann Publishing Co. includes a card slidably retained within a pocket having a data display slot. The card has printed on it data in the form of lines of play suggestions, each line including a player hand value. These lines of play suggestions are individually displayed through the display slot adjacent a series of possible dealer up card values printed on the pocket adjacent the slot. A problem with WIN AT BLACKJACK.TM. is that the lines of data have to be printed very small to all fit onto the one card, and are thus difficult to read at a glance. Another problem is that the sliding of the card within the pocket is awkward.
BLACKJACK MASTER.TM. marketed by Idea Bank Company includes a cardboard first disk rotatably and concentrically mounted on a larger second disk. The first disk has dealer up card values printed around its circumference, and the second disk has player hand value symbols printed around its circumference, adjacent to the dealer up card values. Each dealer up card value has adjacent to it a slot in the first disk. Rotating the disks relative to each other to place a given dealer up card value next to a given player hand value symbol causes a particular color on the second disk to appear in the corresponding slot in the first disk. The color in the slot signals the player whether he or she should hit, stand, double or split. A problem with BLACKJACK MASTER.TM. is that the player might become confused about the meanings of the color signals or look at the wrong slot, since the slots are necessarily close together. BLACKJACK MASTER.TM. is complicated to read and use.
CASINO 21 BASIC STRATEGY.TM. marketed by Thornton and Associates is a cardboard disk rotatably mounted on a rectangular card. The disk has a slot with dealer up card values printed adjacent to it and an arrow printed at a point along its circumference. Printed on the card around the edge of the disk are player hand value symbols. The player rotates the disk to point the arrow to the player hand value symbol corresponding to his or her hand. This causes a line of recommended play symbols printed on the card to appear in the slot, each play symbol being adjacent to a dealer up card value. The player acts on the play recommendation printed next to the current player up card value in the game. A problem with CASINO 21 BASIC STRATEGY is that the disk can easily rotate a few degrees accidently and without the player noticing, so that the wrong play data is displayed. Another problem is that the eye can become confused trying to read the closely grouped play symbols adjacent the closely grouped dealer up card values, again causing improper play decisions.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a blackjack play recommendation apparatus which minimizes player confusion under the stress and heat of play by limiting the play recommendations in sight of the player to those corresponding to a given dealer up card value.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is easy to understand and easy to read.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is easy to open to the desired information and is not easily disturbed to reveal inapplicable information.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is compact and inexpensive to manufacture.